she had, Elliot would have mentioned it.
“This champagne is delicious,” Lissie enthused, clearly trying to jolly me out of my ever-darkening mood.
I rewarded her with a faint smile. “Only the best at a ROGUES event.”
She smiled softly, and her kind eyes roved over my face. “Maybe a dance later?”
“Sure,” I said, although I stopped paying attention as a sight that almost gave me a cardiac arrest appeared in the entranceway.
Athena had poured her perfect, womanly curves into a figure-hugging, off-the-shoulder burnt-orange dress with a neckline that revealed a cleavage I’d give my right kidney to stick my tongue into. Or my dick. Yeah, dick was the better choice. I bet I’d come in ten seconds, my cock cocooned by those fabulous creamy tits.
She paused, glancing behind her, then gestured. A guy stepped forward and captured her hand, an action that bored a fucking great hole right through my gut. I recognized him. Definitely an employee. Paul? Phillip? Peter? Yeah, Peter. That was it. A jackass from the finance department.
Finance department? Athena needed excitement in her life, not a guy who orgasmed over a fucking balance sheet.
At least she hadn’t brought Charles. Scaring off an employee wouldn’t be a challenge. Charles, though, would present an altogether trickier prospect.
“Hello, Earth to Ryker.” Lissie nudged me.
I kept my eyes fixed on Athena as Peter, the soon-to-be-fired accountant, whispered in her ear. She looked up at him, laughing.
I wasn’t laughing.
Lissie touched my arm. “Ryker, are you all right?”
When I didn’t respond, she followed my gaze.
“Ah,” she said. “I understand.”
I glanced down at her. “No, you don’t.”
She raised up on tiptoes and kissed my cheek. “You’re gorgeous, kind, and rich. My perfect man.” She offered up a wan smile. “But I should have realized what was going on at Athena’s homecoming, and I have too much self-respect than to play second fiddle to another woman.” Picking up her champagne, she drained the glass, then set it on the bar. “I hope you two work it out.”
“Lissie,” I called out as she walked away.
She paused and glanced over her shoulder, a tinge of hopefulness mingled with acceptance in her expression.
“I’m sorry.”
She gave me a soft smile. “I know you are.”
She sidled through throngs of people, making her way toward the exit. I made no attempt to follow her. My focus returned to Athena, my eyes sliding over her body in that dress. God, that dress. I wanted to peel it off. Slowly. Then—
“When are you and Athena gonna finally bump uglies?”
I snapped my head to the right to find Oliver standing beside me. “What?”
Oliver raised an eyebrow. “Dude, your tongue is almost on the floor. And you might want to button up your jacket. The employees don’t need to see one of the board members walking around with a baseball bat in their pants. And you’re usually so good at hiding it, too.”
I growled but followed his advice on the jacket. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Oliver shook his head. “Don’t disrespect me. I have eyes, Ryker.”
I sighed, long and hard. “How long have you known?”
He gave a hint of a smile. “I can’t count that high.”
“Do the others know?” I asked, unease swirling in my gut.
He shook his head. “No. At least not that I’m aware of, and I’m damned sure they’d have mentioned it. To me at least.”
As long as I’d known Oliver, he’d been attuned to the world around him. Me and the other guys were too busy conquering the latest business deal—or the latest woman—to pay enough attention to each other’s love lives.
“If you utter a word to Elliot, or any of the guys, I’ll take a fucking baseball bat to your balls.”
He laughed. “My IQ may be a few points behind yours, Ryker, but I’m not stupid. I’d rather not be the one to break the news to Elliot.”
“And nor would I. Hence, I’m over here and she’s over there with some jerk-off from Finance. Remind me to look into the overstaffing in that department on Monday.”
Oliver rolled his eyes. “Leave the poor guy alone. He’s clearly a stooge in this fucked-up thing you’ve both got going on, as is your date.”
“I don’t have a date. She left.”
“Smart girl. Women can smell a man whose attention is elsewhere at a hundred miles.” He grew serious. “Listen, you need to answer one question. What does Athena mean to you? If she’s a one fuck wonder, then do us all a favor and leave well alone. However, if there’s the possibility she